William Daines

A Private with the 11th Battalion, William died on 28th of April 1917 at the age of 24. 

William was born at Carlton Colville in 1893, a son of Robert and Ellen Daines. In 1901 his family lived at Newton’s Cottages, Carlton Colville. By 1911 they were living at Private Road, Victoria Road, Oulton Broad, and William was a butcher’s assistant.

William enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 24160 and was posted to the 11th Battalion in France. He served with C Company. 

On 26 April 1917 the 11th Battalion were at the railway cutting south-west of Fampoux. On 27 April they received orders to prepare for an attack on Rouex the next morning. By 3 a.m. on the 28th they were in position and at 4.25 a.m. a barrage commenced with the battalion beginning the attack at 4.27 a.m. By 5 a.m. the attack was both held up and driven back by heavy machine-gun fire from a trench that had been missed by the preliminary barrage. About half of the battalion had returned to the front line trench and at 9.45 a.m. the Germans made a counter-attack from the direction of Rouex and were able to capture Mount Pleasant Wood and a communication trench called Ceylon Trench. The battalion held the front line and by 10 a.m. had recaptured Ceylon Trench and Mount Pleasant Wood. Next the battalion were moved into support line trenches while the British heavy artillery laid down a bombardment on the Chemical Works at Rouex. Late in the day the battalion returned to the front line trenches.  

William was reported missing on 28 April and later presumed to have been killed in action on that date.